Footballer Prevented from Playing Due to Trousers, Citing Religious Beliefs

Iqra Ismail, a football coach and advocate for refugees, was prohibited from participating in a game due to her choice of tracksuit bottoms over shorts, a decision she states is linked to her religious convictions. Ms. Ismail, who led Somalia’s national team in 2019, indicated that this situation emerged after she joined United Dragons FC, a grassroots team based in Regent’s Park. The 24-year-old, a resident of west London, had anticipated playing her initial match on Sunday against an east London opponent, but the referee informed her that wearing club shorts was mandatory. The Greater London Women’s Football League, which includes United Dragons FC, announced that it would revise its guidelines for all match officials and member clubs in response to the event. Speaking to the BBC, Ms. Ismail recounted that she “was warmed up, I was ready to go,” but upon entering “at half time… the referee told me that I wouldn’t be able to play unless I was wearing shorts.” She further stated, “I have been playing the same league for nearly five years wearing the same tracksuit bottoms and I’ve never worn shorts playing competitively.” Ms. Ismail conveyed, “I told him that I wasn’t comfortable wearing shorts in any capacity. It was a shock to me that the referee took such a strong stance of it. I was very visibly upset as the game was going on, my teammates and the manager were very supportive. Everyone has been devastated.” Ms. Ismail, who has participated in football since the age of eight, mentioned that her usual attire includes a long-sleeve top, the team’s jersey, a sports hijab, and tracksuit bottoms, in addition to shin pads and other required gear. She remarked, “I know a lot of women [of the same faith and beliefs] who don’t play actively in these leagues, even though they are very capable of doing so, because they don’t feel comfortable wearing shorts. That’s the reason they do not play.” She clarified that the issue stemmed from the tracksuit bottoms, not the long-sleeve top. The Greater London Women’s Football League seemed to contradict the Football Association (FA)’s guidance, which advises leniency on this matter, although official FA regulations specify that only goalkeepers may wear tracksuit bottoms. Nevertheless, following the occurrence, the league released a statement indicating its collaboration with the FA to “better understand” the specifics of the guidance concerning appropriate attire for women and girls in football, which “ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised.” The league’s statement explained: “It was our understanding that players were permitted to wear tights or tracksuit bottoms to cover their legs but that they would also have to wear shorts on top, to adhere to club colours regulations. It was this requirement that our referee was seeking to adhere to this weekend.” However, the league now states it has been informed that this interpretation is incorrect, and that match officials ought to permit trousers “to ensure the players feel as comfortable as possible.” The league further declared: “We will be providing this updated guidance to all our match officials and members and want to ensure everyone, including Iqra, that we fully support the principle that players should wear clothing that ensures their faith and/or religious beliefs are not compromised.” Prior to the league’s statement, Ms. Ismail mentioned that in her capacity as a coach, she had attempted to offer guidance to the Greater London Women’s Football League on this matter, citing the FA’s recommendation for leniency, but stated they had previously “decided not to budge.” She commented, “It’s been one step forward and two steps back with this issue.” She added, “In the past few years, I’ve been advocating for Muslim women to have a safe space in the game.” As an illustration, she noted, “For example, we hosted a women-only alcohol-free viewing of the FA cup final, for Muslim women to feel comfortable and included.” She concluded, “It’s been difficult to see the hard work that a lot of us have put in start to be undone by incidents like this.” She further asserted: “Your religious principles and what you’re comfortable have to take precedence. People say when you’re on the pitch, you’re a player, but I believe you should be able to bring your culture and your identity with you, yes it’s a personal act of defiance, but it’s so much bigger than just me.” An FA spokesperson stated: “We proactively wrote to all county FAs and match officials across the women’s grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised. We remain deeply committed to ensuring that English football is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everybody.”